LETTERS: NCT, Sept. 6, 2008

Now, impulsive maverick McCain, in his first official act,
selects a candidate for the base, a candidate with pathetic
credentials. Here we go again!

Marilyn Miller

Carlsbad

Obama has better approach to foreign
affairs

Who better to deal with Russia? After the USSR collapsed, the
United States: 1. decreased Russia's influence in countries on
Russia's borders by accepting them into NATO, 2. supported the
Orange Revolution to get a West-friendly regime in Ukraine, 3. set
up missile bases in Poland, and 4. allowed McCain to interfere in
foreign affairs, encouraging anti-Russian attacks via his foreign
affairs adviser Randy Scheunemann, who as lobbyist for Georgia,
conveyed McCain's support: "We are all Georgians."

A government's first duty is to protect its territory. How has
the U.S. reacted against Cuba? There are no universally accepted
rules about which separatist ethnic groups to support for
statehood. U.S. seems to accept separation where it expands
American interests (Kosovo from Serbia), but not otherwise, as in
Georgia (South Ossetia), Iraq (Kurd and Sunni separation from
Shia), Britain (Scots and Welch), Spain (Basque and Catalan),
Belgium (Fleming and Walloon) and Canada (Quebec).

The future president will need to address these tough problems.
Who best to come up with a solution? Barack Obama, who wants to
explore dialogue and diplomacy, or John McCain, whose short fuse
thus far has shown only a shoot-from-the-hip approach?

Zoltan Lucas

Progressive Democrats of North County

Oceanside

Homosexuality occurs in the animal kingdom

It is a convenient and oft-used charge that homosexuality is
abhorrent because it isn't "natural," i.e., it didn't result in
procreation and that it only exists in human practice without being
present among animal species.

The fact is that homosexuality has been observed in animals by
scientists for a long time. Until not too long ago, there was a
kind of gentlemen's agreement not to report homosexuality in
animals, which made it appear that homosexuality didn't exist among
the Earth's animal populations. It's not true! The reality is that
homosexual behavior occurs in more than 450 different animal
species worldwide, and is found in every major geographical region
and every major animal group. Read biologist Bruce Bagemih's book:
"Biological Exuberance: Animal Homosexuality and Natural Diversity"
(St. Martin's Press, New York, 1999).

Evidently, the Great Creator, in his plan of creation, wanted to
include same-gender sex so much that he made it occur â"â" even
though it contradicts the idea that a species or trait cannot
survive without reproduction. …

Harold Stidolph

Carlsbad

Palin a disastrous choice

Yesterday was John McCain's birthday. If elected, he'd be the
oldest president ever inaugurated. And after months of criticizing
Barack Obama for inexperience, McCain has chosen to be one
heartbeat away from the presidency a person who, until recently,
was mayor of a town of 9,000 people.

Who is Sarah Palin? She was elected Alaska's governor a little
over a year and a half ago. Her previous office was mayor of
Wasilla, a small town outside Anchorage. She has no foreign policy
experience. None. She is strongly anti-choice, and opposes abortion
even in the case of rape or incest. She supported right-wing
extremist Pat Buchanan for president in 2000. She thinks
creationism should be taught in public schools, and she doesn't
think humans are the cause of climate change. She sued the Bush
administration for listing polar bears on the endangered species
list â"â" she was worried it would interfere with more oil
drilling in Alaska.